HAPPENING -- 26:

‘PLAYBACK THEATRE’ PRESENTATIONS CATCHING UP

P S SUNDAR 

A member of the audience sits on the ‘Teller Chair’.  Jatin Vakharia,  Nilgiri Theatrix co-ordinator, sits on a chair to his right.

Jatin motivates him/her to come out with an anecdote of actual happening from his life which he would like to see enacted instantaneously by chosen performers.   When he speaks out, Jatin asks some relevant queries to help the performers understand the situation clearly.  Then, he turns to the group of six performers standing to his left and narrates the situation as a summary of the anecdote shared by the ‘Teller’.   Then, he declares, “Let’s watch” which is an international alert for the performers to enact the anecdote as a drama. 

Once done, Jatin asks the ‘Teller’ if the enactment reflected the scenario concerned and gets his views as the audience applauds loudly.

Then, another member of the audience occupies the ‘Teller Chair’ and the scene continues.    This is the Playback Theatre.

“The ‘Teller Chair’ and ‘Let’s watch’ slogan are the crux to ‘Playback Theatre’ which is a unique form of improvised drama that invites a true story from an audience member and is then re-enacted on the spot”, says Jatin who has undergone training from international experts in various places.    

This presentation itself followed a three-day workshop  in Coonoor organised by ‘Nilgiri Theatrix’ when British citizen Brian Tasker, a graduate of the School of Playback Theatre in New York and a Practitioner registered with the International Playback Theatre Network, who had come from the UK, conducted the training.

“I was impressed with the way the participants picked up the nuances of ‘Playback Theatre’.   Learning for three days through involvement makes the contestants confident, bold and participate in team work in all aspects of their life”, Brian told me.  

“This form of drama presentation is easy because it is in an informal way with minimum props.   The enactment is mainly the ‘own stories’ of the audience and hence there is a live connect between the performers and the audience.  Anyone with a willingness and emphatic in character can act in the ‘Playback Theatre’.  This is not much demanding exercise”, he explained.

“At this workshop, the first of its kind in The Nilgiris, there were 15 participants, aged 18 to 69, of whom 11 were women.  Interestingly, 8 girl students studying for BA English Literature in two colleges in Coimbatore – four from Nirmala College for Women and four from Sri Ramakrishna College for Women – participated”, Jatin disclosed.  

“We learnt a lot in the workshop.  Although we had participated in drama presentations in the college before, this concept is totally new to us”, said student Pancinovia.  

“Our college has encouraged us by granting attendance to attend this workshop”, said Pavithra of Nirmal College.

“We will use our creativity and improve our presentation.  The ‘Playback Theatre’ is the in-thing among teens, especially college students now”, said another student Sandhya.

“In the three-day workshop, there was training through dance and music, sociometry exercises developing socialising among the unknown participants, elements of playback including conflict and fluid pictures, expressing the various feelings, storytelling and music playing and actual presentation to attract the audience”, Jatin shared.

He said that considering the overwhelming response, more such workshops and presentations will be held in the months to come.

Brian distributed certificates to all participants.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)